Arc lamp mechanism



April 18, 1933.

A. G. SAU RWEIN ARG LAMP MECHANISM Filed Deo. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l nutlllunumll 'l NVENTQR I ATTORNEYS April 18, 1933. A. G. sAURwL-:IN

ARC LAMP MECHANISM Filed Deo". 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY WMATTORN l-:Ys

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Huhu EE n EEE# Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT G. SFAURWEIN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR k'120 NATIONAL CARBON COM- PANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ARC LAMP MECHANISM Application led December 26, 1929. Serial No. 416,722.

This invention relates to electric arc lamps and has particular reference to an automatlc arc striking mechanism for use with handfor bringing the electrodes in contact, and the n other for separating them to draw the are. Others are provided with resilient means for releasing the electrodes after they are manually brought into contact usually by moving one of the electrodes toward the other. Practically all of such lamps require considerable care and skill on the part of the operator to prevent a prolonged short circuit when striking the arc by allowing the electrodes to remain too long in contact. This short circuit of the arc causes a heavy flow of current in' the lamp circuit which is quite often suiicient to blow the fuses. It is also quite diflicult to always draw an arc of the proper length, and too short an arc if allowed to burn any length of time will also cause the same trouble. This objection is especially noticeable in arc lamps of the type which are now being commonly used on the ordinary lighting circuits which are usually fused to carry a comparatively light current load.

In accordance with my invention I have provided a mechanism which is adapted to automatically bring the electrodes together as well as to separate them after striking the arc. Only one manual operation is necessary to effect both results, and the mechanism is so arranged that the operator cannot hold the electrodes in contact a suflicient length of time to cause a short circuit. Furthermore the length of arc desired may be predetermined with the assurance that the electrodes will always separate to a uniform distance.

The mechanism may be assembled in a wrack descends the lower one rises.

upper end of the top rack and the bottomcompact unit and is especially adapted for use on the smaller lamps made for burning on the ordinary light circuit.

The advantages of my invention will be evident from a description of theaccompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a mechanical arrangement showing one modiication of my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side view on the line 2 2 of Fig.

The Fig. 1 shows the back of an arc lamp with the mechanism entirely mounted 0n the support member 1 which also serves as a partition to protect the mechanism from the heat of the arc. Two racks 3 and 4, slidably mounted on the guide shafts 5, are both engaged by a pinion 6, so that when theluppler o t e of the lower rack are attached members 10 which extend horizontally through the support 1 and carry the electrode holders 20, shown in Fig. 2. The holders move with the racks in front of the support 1 and the members 10 connecting them therewith travel in the slots 7 inthe support. A weight 8 on the upper holder tends to lower the upper rack when permitted and bring the electrodes into contact. f

The vertical arm 9, substantially parallel with the upper rack and spaced a short distance therefrom, is connected at its upper end with the top carbon holder assembly. Near the lower end it is normally engaged by a clutch 11 which holds it stationary. A lever arm 12 pivoted at 13 consists of two parallel members (shown with the Outer member removed) ybetween which are mounted the clutch 11, the latch 14, and the rod 15. The clutch and latch are mounted on the same pivot and the spring 16 normally holds the clutch in an engaged position with the arm 9, and also holds the latch in contact with the pin 17 which limits its movement in one direction. Around the rod 15 a spring 18 acting in conjunction with the spring 19 tends to hold the lever 12 in a raised position. Connected with the end of the lever arm is the dash-pot piston 21. The set screw 22 is adjustable to limit the upward travel of the dash-pot plunger and thus also to limit the upward movement of the lever arm 12. A stop 23 is adapted to engage and release the clutch 11 when the lever arm 12 is moved downward a certain distance.

To the left is the starting lever 24. This lever is of such length and shape as to be easily accessible for hand operation on the outside of the lamp housing; Said lever ispivoted at 25 and by means of a link 26 is connected with a vertical plunger shaft 27. The plunger shaft is slidably mounted in the support 28 and is normally held inthe raised position by the action of the spring 29. On this shaft are mounted two collars 3l and 32. The lower collar 32 has a beveled upper surface and is free to slide on the shaft 27 against the action of the spring 33 which normally holds it in the position shown, while the upper collar 31 is mounted in a fixed position. A

latch 34 pivoted at its upper end is so positioned that it may engage at its lower extremity the collar 32. whil-e the small projection 35 in the upper portion is also adapted to be engaged by the collar 31. The latch may be rotated a short distance away from the plunger sha-ft 27 against the act-ion of a spring 36 located about the pivot.

The mechanism is so arranged that the. electrodes are normally held in a separated position. In order to strike the are it is necessary to depress the starting lever 24 as far as possible. IVhen this has been done the following cycle of operation takes place. The plunger shaft 27 is moved in a downward direction carrying with it the two collars 31 and The collar 32 first engages the latch 14 and begins to move the lever arm 12. Its downward movement is then arrested by the latch 34 where it is held while the plunger shaft and collar 31 continue their downward motion compressing the spring Collar 31 then engages the projection 35 of the latch 34, causing it to release the collar 32 and allowing said collar to again move downward due to the action of the spring 33. rlhis causes the lever 12 to rotate about its pivot 13 which motion will continue until the latch 14. which travels in an are, is

cleared by the collar 32.

As the lever arm 12 moves downward the clutch 11 is raised by striking the pin 23, causing it to release the. arm 9 connected to the upper carbon holder assembly. 'vith the aid of the weight 8 the carbon holders then move by gravity toward each other until the electrodes come in contact. After the collar 32 slides pastthe latch 14 the lever arm 12 is again raised to its original position due to the action of the springs 18 and 19. In so doing the clutch 11 again engages and raises the arm 9 causing the electrodes to separate and form the are. The dash-pot acts to retard the motion ot' the lever arm 12- sufficiently to allow the electrodes to contact before the clutch 11 re-engages the arm 9, and also to prevent the carbons from being drawn apart too rapidly. The regulating screw 22 limits the upward movement of the level arm 12 and thus acts to determine the initial length of the arc.

,On releasing the starting lever 24 the spring 29 raises the plunger shaft 27 and the collars 31 and 32 to their original posit-ions.

The arc having been drawn will continue to burn until the electrodes are consumed to such an extent that the arc length increases to a point where it breaks. In order to again strike the arc it is necessary to depress the starting lever 24 as in the first instance, and the automatic operation as described will be repeated.

It will be evident from this description that the act of depressing the starting lever 24 to the full length of its stroke is the only manual operation necessary. The hand operation in itself does not directly cause the electrodes to Contact but is merely operative to actuate the automatic mechanism. sequently a minimum of care on the part of the operator is necessary to obtain efficient operation with the assurance of a constant original arc length and no danger of prolonged contact of the electrodes when strik-v ing the arc. The mechanism may be arranged to permit the use of any suitable housing, and the assembling as shown produces an exceptionally shallow, compact and portable finished are lamp.

Various modifications of the preferred form of my invention as shown will be apparent without departing from theV spiritthereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an arc lamp.` a pair of vertical electrodes, an upper and lower electrode holder, a rack carried by each electrode holder, a pinion engaging said racks, an arm connected with the upper holder and rack and extend-l ing vertically downward therefrom, a clutch engaging said arm adapted to normally hold the electrodes in spaced relation, and manually controlled means operative only to release said clutch for a time sufficient to per` mit the electrodes to contact and strike an arc whereby short circuiting of the electrodes is prevented.

2. In an arc lamp, a pair of vertical electrodes, an upper and lower electrode holder, a rack carried by each electrode holder, a pinion engaging said racks, an arm connected with the upper holder and extending vertically downward therefrom in a position substantially parallel with the upper rack, a

Coni yclutch normally engaging said arm to hold the electrodes in spaced relation, a lever arm carrying said clutch, means adapted to release said clutch when the lever arm is moved downward about its pivot, and manually controlled means for effecting a downward stroke of said lever arm and operative only to release said clutch for a timel suilicient to permit, the electrodes to contact and strike an arc whereby short circuiting of the electrodes is prevented.

3. In an arc lamp, a pair of vertical electrodes, an upper and lower electrode holder, a rack carried by each electrode holder, a pinion engaging said racks, an arm connected with the upper holder, a clutch normally engaging said arm to hold the electrodes in spaced relation, a lever arm carrying said clutch, a pin adapted to release the clutch when the lever arm is moved downward, a manually operable plunger shaft carrying a collar adapted by spring pressure to move the end of said lever arm through an arc sufficient to release said clutch, and a dash-pot having a piston connected with said lever arm and operable to retard its motion so that the electrodes may contact and strike an arc.

4. In an arc lamp, a pair of vertical electrodes, an upper and lower electrode holder; a rack carried by each electrode holder, a pinion engaging said racks, an arm connected with the upper holder and extending vertically downward therefrom in a position substantially parallel with the upper rack, a clutch normally engaging said arm to hold the electrodes in spaced relation, a lever arm carrying said clutch, a pin adapted to release the clutch when the lever arm is moved downward, and a manually operable plunger shaft carrying a collar adapted by spring pressure to move the end of said lever arm through an arc sufficient to release said clutch and allow the electrodes to Contact and strike yan arc.

5. An arc lamp mechanism for vertical electrodes, comprising electrode holders arranged one above the other, means including a pair of racks and a pinion for causing movement of the holders toward each other by gravity when released, means including a clutch operatively connected with said holders to normally prevent their movement and maintain the electrodes in spaced relation, and a manually operable plunger shaft carrying means thereon adapted to engage said clutch and automatically release said holders only long enough to allow the electrodes to contact and draw an arc.

6. An arc lamp mechanism for vertical electrodes comprising electrode holders arranged one above the other, means including a pair of racks and a pinion for causing movement of the holders toward each other by gravity when released, means including an arm and clutch operatively connected with the upper one of said holders normally preventing their movement and holding the elec- In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

ALBERT G. SAURWEIN. 

